Australia’s GPs are recommending influenza vaccinations for workers in aged care facilities to help protect residents from the current influenza outbreak.
The Royal Australian College of General Practitioners (RACGP) says the vaccinations are critical because nursing home residents are vulnerable to the flu.
RACGP Acting President Dr Edwin Kruys says, “Influenza vaccinations can be less effective for older people. This makes them much more susceptible to catching the flu.
“As a result of age, chronic illnesses and close living conditions, residents of aged care facilities are at high risk of developing infections and consequently dying due to influenza and pneumonia.
“Therefore, it is important to prevent people introducing the influenza virus into residential aged care facilities by vaccinating staff and health care workers and educating visitors to stay away when unwell.
“Vaccinations are one of Australia’s medical success stories.
"Since the introduction of immunisation in Australia and overseas in the nineteen thirties, millions of lives have been saved as deaths for vaccine-preventable diseases have fallen by 99 per cent.
“More than 4.5 million doses of the influenza vaccine are provided each year at no cost to Australians who are most at risk from the flu under the National Immunisation Program – including people aged 65 years and over.”
For more information please visit the Australian Government’s www.immunisationfacts.gov.au website and the RACGP’s guidelines on immunisation.